If You Walk Away, I Walk Away
by mplsveela
Summary: Ron's assumptions have left him and his wife, Hermione in the biggest fight they've ever had. With the terrifying idea of seperation hanging over their head's, they both struggle to change to be what eachother needs. R/Hr
1. The Fight

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, I am simply playing around in a world already created by J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter 1: The Fight

Ron swiftly deflected a silencing spell that Hermione threw over her shoulder at him. It was a sure sign that an argument had become serious once petty spells were used against one another.

He began to tap his wand into the palm of his left hand as he tried to choose some more suitable words.

"Look, 'Mione, all I am saying is, why should we still be trying to prevent it from happening?"

Hermoine emitted a great sigh, and finally turned to face her husband. Ron took a step back in surprise to see she had begun to cry. He was about to apologize when she regained her composure.

Then, in a voice that was much stronger than he expected hers to be, she had another go at him, "Because, Ronald, I do not believe it is wise to bring a child into the world when both parents are not consenting to the idea."

Unsurprisingly, Ron took great offense to her statement.

"Oh, I get it, so you don't want to have my children then" Ron said, irrationally.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, it's not like I am saying I want to have someone else's children, I simply don't want a child period," She responded coolly, against his anxious demeanor.

"But, WHY?" Ron said, throwing his hands down to the ground. "Harry and Ginny already have James, and they say this is the happiest they have ever been!"

"Okay, I understand, but may I point out that James is also the product of carelessness. Harry said so himself."

"Then why can't we be careless? Don't you want the happiness they have?" Ron said almost begging.

Hermione raised an eyebrow and leaned forward.

"Do I strike you as a careless person Ronald?" She let the question linger in the air before she continued. "Children are not the only thing that brings happiness into a marriage. For instance, becoming pregnant at this juncture in my life would make me, very, unhappy. I am not the type of person to simply forget a contraceptive spell."

"And you won't take into consideration what will make me happy? That doesn't matter to you? I thought that was part of a relationship, doing things for one another!" Almost immediately, Ron regretted what he said.

"Letting you knock me up is not the same as cooking you your favorite meal!" Hermione shouted, as she stood to her full potential.

"Well then what are we doing here? Why did we get married if we didn't want a family together?"

"I don't know, but if children are the only thing that will make you happy then maybe I am not the right woman for you after all."

Silence filled the kitchen they shared, as what Hermione said, seemed to bounce off of every appliance they owned.

After the long silence, and both of their heavy breathing calmed, Ron spoke, "We should have talked about this before we got married."

Hermione only replied with a snort, and then the kitchen was filled with that same echoing silence.

"Well," Ron began, but his wife cut him off, "I am going to Harry's, I can't even think about sharing a bed with you, knowing all you want is to turn it into a big baby making machine."

Ron felt the corners of his mouth twitch up at what Hermione said, but then was filled with a different emotion as he realized she was going to convince Harry to take her side, which inevitably, included Ginny.

"Oh, no you don't," he started, stepping forward, "You can't go run off to use my best mates as a sanctuary."

Hermione turned around to deliver a glare at her baby-crazed husband, she already had her bag slung around her shoulder and a handful of floo in her hand, "Really?" And with that she disappeared into the fireplace.

Ron starred at the fireplace in disbelief, not only that he had obviously lost the argument, but also that Hermione was probably convincing Harry and Ginny that he was off his rocker at this very moment.

He sighed when he realized he probably wouldn't be able to sleep in their potential love nest either. He felt grateful that he had so many siblings to whom he could impose on, even if his delusional wife currently occupied the favored place.

"Well, off to George's," Ron mumbled to Crookshanks. He proceeded to scoop up Hermione's overweight fur ball and flooed over to his second choice in a marital getaway.

* * *

The following morning Hermione awoke in a very unfamiliar fashion. Baby James was screaming at the top of his lungs in a very selfish manner. She groaned to herself and buried her head into her pillow to drown out the noise.

She was just thinking that this is exactly why she didn't want to have children when she heard a familiar snort from the doorway. She sneaked one eye open and saw Harry cradling James with a heated up bottle keeping him quiet.

"What?"

"Nothing," he replied smiling, "I just wanted to see what your reaction would be."

"Oh, what my reaction would be to you bringing your homemade alarm clock into my room?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

Harry gave her a perplexed look while still cradling his son, "No, my room," he corrected her, pointing to himself.

"You are welcome to return to your own home anytime you'd like," he added smartly.

Hermione sat up and glanced at her bedside clock and then over to the doorway to see him burping Baby James, "Harry, be supportive," she whined.

Harry chuckled, "I am… of Ron," this made him grin huge as he walked out of the room and left his sister in law, jaw dropped.

Hermione decided to divert her efforts of gaining support to Ginny, whom she hadn't even had the chance to talk to yet. Last night, she after she flooed over, she broke down and just managed to tell Harry the problem before letting herself upstairs and claiming the guest bedroom for herself.

She glared at her traitorous reflection as she twisted her thick mass of hair into a bun. Her red, swollen eyes were proof that she had actually cried herself to sleep over the baby matter. She was about to apply some cream to get rid of the evidence, but decided against it since Harry had already seen her.

Hermione was strategizing how she could possibly convince Ginny to support her decision when Ginny greeted her from the kitchen.

"Well good morning, my stubborn friend," Ginny greeted in the same baby voice she was using to amuse her son in her arms.

Hermione cringed inwardly at the idea of that high-pitched voice ever leaving her own mouth, but greeted Ginny as warmly as possible as she sat at the Potter's table.

"Oh," Ginny began in her normal voice, "and I already talked to Harry, and we are both backing Ron on this, although you are welcome to stay as long as your stubborn ass needs to." Funnily enough, she had managed to revert back to her baby voice to say, "stubborn ass needs to" making it difficult to take Ginny seriously at this point.

"Great, so no one is going to support me, and everyone thinks I'm a selfish wife."

"Okay, I don't remember saying anything like that, I hardly think that me and Harry account for everyone, and you're not a selfish wife.

"I just think, and as rare as it is, that Ron is right."

Hermione snorted, and never let her eyes leave the newest addition to the Weasley family.

Ginny caught this and suddenly felt sympathetic; Hermione was giving her child a very startling look. "Out of curiosity, what brought upon the sudden anti-reproduction thing anyways?"

Hermione replied, but with her eyes still focused on James it looked like she was talking to him, "It wasn't sudden, I never planned on having kids, its just, no one ever asked, I guess. Everyone just assumed I would pop out a bunch of Ron replicas."

Ginny furrowed her eyebrows together in concern for her friend, "Don't you think its weird that you and Ron never talked about it before now, I mean, me and Harry talked about having kids when we were just dating."

"Yes, we really should have talked about it before now, but we didn't, now here we are," Hermione said waving her hands around for emphasis, as if to point out she wasn't in her own home.

"Honestly, James is what brought all this up," she continued, Ginny looked like she was going to object, but didn't get the chance, " Its like it didn't occur to Ron that we should be having kids until his little sister did. Then all of a sudden he went baby crazy. You should have seen his face the last time I preformed a contraceptive spell, I've never seen him so disappointed."

Again Ginny looked like she was going to say something, but didn't get the chance as James spewed up all over the front of her shirt. Hermione looked horrified, and suddenly it occurred to her that Ron wouldn't have stayed at home either, and that he was probably at one of his brothers. Coming to the home of an infant probably wasn't the best idea to escape her baby dilemma. At least it wasn't Ron here, he would have gone even more baby crazy.

* * *

The following morning Ron awoke in a very unfamiliar fashion. George's fiancée, Angelina Johnson, was squealing in excitement over something that had arrived in the morning post. Ron groaned and rolled into his pillow to drown out her girlish cries, and was grateful his wife did not know how to make that noise.

Ron heard George shuffle into the kitchen to see what all the racket was about, which only made Angelina more excited. He could literally feel the ground shake as she jumped up and down like a child on Christmas morning.

Ron only opened his eyes when he felt half the couch get weighed down when his older brother sat down with a sigh. "Wedding invitations arrived," he answered to Ron's up-spoken question.

"Well, that would do it," he replied remembering all to well what women were like with wedding preparations. Although he was sure Hermione never did any early morning wake up calls over the invitations.

George and Ron both had to suppress laughs when Angelina's loud squealing was actually drowned out by Mrs. Weasley's excitement through the kitchen floo.

The wedding excitement reminded Ron of what he should have done around this time in his own life. He should have told Hermione right away that he wanted her to have like at least ten of his kids. That way there would have been no confusion.

"George?" He questioned, he better make sure his brother didn't make the same mistake.

"Mmm?"

"Have you and Angelina talked about having kids yet?" George didn't seem surprised by the question because of the given circumstances.

"'Coarse we have, already decided to name the first boy Fred, Angelina's idea actually," George replied pretty proudly at the aspect of his future children.

"I am an idiot, it didn't even occur to me that Hermione wouldn't want kids. Honestly George, it didn't even cross my mind."

George patted Ron's back sympathetically.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

Ron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and pointer finger, "I have no idea, she is being so selfish, she won't have kids because of her career. What is nine months of pregnancy compared to a lifetime of helping house elves?"

George pondered this for a moment, "Some would consider making little replicas of yourself selfish Ron. Have you actually asked her why she didn't want them, like specifically?"

"I tried, but you know how I am when I am angry, I don't think it came out rationally," he confessed dejectedly. George let out a genuine laugh and clapped his youngest brother on the back once again before rising to help Angelina.

"Talk to her mate, it's the only thing you can do, your not going to be able to force her into this, well, not at least without spending some time in Azkaban," and with that George disappeared leaving Ron to ridiculous idea of "forcing" his own wife to get pregnant.

Ron remained at their home through the day though, Fleur even dropped by to offer help with the wedding preparations, and advice for Ron. She was not surprised that Hermione didn't want children, and went on to call him naïve. He was quick to decide that with the wedding chaos, and empty suggestions that one more night would be all he could stand here before returning and facing the wrath of his wife, that is if she even came back.

_A/N: Big thanks goes out to jjgluv for stepping up and being my beta!_


	2. Paths Crossing

Disclaimer: I do not own either Ron nor Hermione, they both belong to J.K. Rowling

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Chapter 2: Paths Crossing

Hermione arrived back in her and Ron's home shortly after witnessing James spit out all the contents of his infant stomach, on to Ginny's bare neck. The sight nearly sent her over the edge, and running and screaming through out the Potter's home. Luckily she composed herself enough to floo back home, and have her breakdown in privacy.

She couldn't even imagine the infinite amount of love you would have to feel for your child to purposely make them vomit onto your own shoulder. Then continue on, to comfort and soothe the vomit machine. And the privacy, where would she go to have her breakdowns if she had a child?

After a quick look around the place she could see that Ron must have left very shortly after she did. The leftovers of the dinner she had prepared yesterday evening were still scattered about the kitchen. The table was still set the exact same way that it had been when their fight began.

Hermione started walking toward the stairs, but stopped when her eyes fell upon a distraction. Ron had aberrantly left a note on the side table. He had written it so quickly, or perhaps angrily, that the few words written were hard to decipher. If she hadn't spent so many years learning the art of, Ron's crappy handwriting, she would have been at a loss.

_At George's, took Pig-face along. _

She frowned as she felt herself become full of many different emotions at no more than six words. Initially, she felt touched that Ron would reduce her of worrying, by letting her know where he was. But she could not be quite sure, whether or not the note's purpose was so she knew she had the house to herself, or so she knew she shouldn't go to Georges. She could have figured out she had the house to herself on her own, so the latter seemed the most plausible.

Then relief washed over her, her cat wasn't left alone to fend for itself like a stray in the midst of their squabble. In all honesty, she hadn't even given Crookshanks a second thought. Add that the ever growing list of why Hermione Weasley is not meant to have children.

Finally she settled on one last emotion, probably the most unreasonable one at that. Why should she give a rat's ass where Ron is? He could be off sperminating some other witch for all she cared!

Hermione went on to rip up the note and stomp up the stairs in a childishly manner.

"Like I give a shit," she mumbled under her breath. As long as he wasn't here, she really didn't care what he did anymore.

"He's a grown man," she thought to herself, he can do whatever he wants; it's his life, "or funeral". She thought as she stopped in train of thought at the top step. "A grown, 'married' man," she added. His funeral indeed.

"He better be at Georges," she said aloud to no one.

* * *

Three hours, and 6 owls later, Hermione was at the end of her wits. Apparently, word of her and Ron's argument had spread around the Weasley family and to their friends.

Hermione had been hosting an S.P.E.W. meeting at their home, once a month, since they purchased the home itself. But apparently, since word of her and Ron's fight broke out, no one wanted to come. She couldn't say she blamed them, who knew if Ron was planning on showing up or not. If he did, it could potentially split up the family, forcing people to take sides.

But then again, where were your friends and family when you need them? It would feel nice to have someone on take the opposed side…

She shook her head at her selfish thoughts. Maybe it would be best that everyone owled and bowed out of the S.P.E.W. meeting. In reality, she knew that everyone would take Ron's side, she married into a very loving, pro-creating family, and majority of the meeting was made up of family members.

"Ron – 1, Hermione – 0," she said aloud.

Frustrated, she let her mind wander to the oversized bathtub they had in the master bathroom; maybe she just needed a long hot bath. She had been looking forward to the meeting, and had been counting down the minutes actually. Just preparing for the meeting itself had provided her with hours of distraction. But now what was she left with? Disappointment and loneliness.

Dejectedly she began packing up all of her S.P.E.W. things. About half the group had declined, and the other half was probably too lazy to send an owl. About halfway through however, their main floo became activated. She whipped her head around to see who her faithful elf activist was and drew back in shock.

There stood Ron, in all his glory, holding Crookshanks a good distance away from his body. Hermione stood across of him, half of her face covered by her bushy hair, holding onto a bundle of folders for dear life.

They stood in a shocked silence for longer than what was comfortable. The only sound heard was, the crackling of the fire, and the sound of Crookshanks hissing to be freed. Ron, who was not actually shocked, and was well aware of what he was getting himself into, dropped the cat unceremoniously onto the floor. Unlike Hermione he had been able to prepare himself to see her.

Hermione let out a loud breath that she seemed to have been holding when she saw her cat scuttle across the rug. Once again, the mere presence of Ron had filled her with fifty different emotions, much like his short note had.

Ron however, had not been prepared to be the only person in attendance to the monthly S.P.E.W. meeting. He knew that George and Angelina were not going, but they had urged him to go, stating it would only make things worse between them to be unsupportive.

"Where is everyone?" Ron asked, softly.

The broken silence brought Hermione out of her state of shock; she immediately began picking up files again.

"Avoiding conflict," she responded, smartly to her husband's question.

Comprehension then dawned on Ron; their own kin had planned and schemed against them. They had all refused to come, but got Ron to go anyways. "Weird support system," he mumbled to himself.

"They did this on purpose so that we would be forced to see each other," Ron said louder, slumping into his favorite chair.

"It would appear so," Hermione responded, with little emotion behind her words. She finished cleaning up and heaved the remaining pile of folders into her arms.

On reflex, Ron jumped out of the chair to assist her. "Here, let me," Ron began, but was cut short in decline.

"I think I can handle it," his wife snapped, turning the corner into her office.

Ron was left flabbergasted, normally; she was completely flattered when he offered his help.

He ran a hand through his hair, only for his fingers to get caught in a tangle. He murmured a curse under his breath and headed up to their master bathroom for a shower.

However, the moment his hand hit the banister, Hermione had returned, and she looked livid.

"Where do you think your going?" she asked, furious.

Ron gave no response, but gave her a look that suggested she had a new eyeball sprouting from her forehead. It would appear clear where he was intending to go, with one foot on the way up the stairs.

With no response, Hermione restated her question, taking his silence for confusion. "Are you going up the stairs with the intention of staying here tonight?"

Ron took a step away from the stairs at her reworded question. "Well I do live here," he responded slowly, as if to remind her of the obvious.

"Not tonight," she shot back, quickly.

"Oh, so you're still too stubborn to sleep together in our big, bad, baby making, machine then?" Ron asked, annoyed at his wife's stubborn ways. Besides, if she really thought he was going to even try and put the moves on her after their fight last night, she was bonkers.

Hermione took a step closer to him and responded, "Well that depends, is that what our bed still is to you?"

Ron smirked, preparing himself for a hex that was sure to come his way the moment the words were out of his mouth, "Not necessarily, we could make a baby on McGonagall's desk for all I care, whatever gets the job done."

"BASTARD!" Hermione shrieked, and sent a hex at her dear husband with the intention of setting his hair aflame.

Ron, who was prepared, deflected it with a smile on his face. He had gotten a rise of her exactly like he had planned to.

"How dare you insinuate I would ever do such a thing? Get the hell of out this house Ronald!"

The smile disappeared from his face, "Really, be reasonable Hermione, I know you are more level-headed than this. We can sleep under the same roof, I give you my word I will not impregnate you."

"That's not funny," she responded, shaking where she stood out of rage.

Ron shifted on his feet and lowered his wand so it pointed at the floor. He would give up the stubborn act first, "I know it wasn't, I'm sorry, I just hate fighting, I want to be here with you, I love you, I hate being away from you."

"Will you love me unconditionally if I refuse to bear your children?" His wife asked, with a solid voice.

"Mione, I will love you no matter what, but you know how I feel about kids." He responded softly, with hope to avoid the same argument from last night.

"And you know how I feel, I guess we are no closer to a resolve then," she responded, equally as solid as before.

"Now, are you planning on staying or not?"

"I live here! I will stay if I please!" Ron shouted, angry that he put himself out there with an apology and it got thrown back in his face.

"Well, being a level headed person, as you referred to me, I am aware that we will only continue arguing if we both stay. So if your staying, I'm leaving," and with that, she pushed past Ron and made her way upstairs to grab some overnight things.

"Shit," Ron said, angry. As much as he wanted to stay here, it would be worse to kick Hermione to the curb.

He walked angrily out the front door, letting the door slam behind him. Hopefully his wife would get the hint she could have the damn house they owned together for the night.

He took in a few deep breaths of the cool evening air before turning on the spot and apparating to Diagon Alley.

Hermione did in fact hear the door slam shut, and at the sound, she let her solid, cool exterior down, and cried the remainder of the night. She had never felt more awful in her entire life. She replayed Ron's apology in her head over and over again, going over all the different ways she could have accepted it.

She knew though, deep down, that their future was hanging over their heads; there were only two possible outcomes that could come from resolving their biggest fight they've ever had. And neither a baby, nor divorce sounded satisfying to her.

After all they had been through together, an unborn, perhaps never existing child is tearing them apart. She knew she could not live without Ron, but was she willing to selfishly bring an unwanted child into the world to keep him?

She decided to put off working things off working things out with Ron, she would ensure their paths did not cross again until they both cooled down.

* * *

_A/N: I am really happy with the response I got to the first chapter! So thank you to everyone that added it to their favorites, reviewed, or added it to their alerts!_

_One person even realized I was inspired by the song Land Locked Blues, by Bright Eyes, so you should listen to the song if you enjoy the story, it sets the mood._


	3. Diamonds in the Sidewalk

Disclaimer: I do not own either Ron nor Hermione, they both belong to J.K. Rowling

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Chapter 3: Diamonds in the Sidewalk

Ron steadied himself on a nearby lamp post after tripping over his own two feet. He plopped himself down on the curb and threw his head back releasing a burp reeking of alcohol.

A woman passing by let out a "tsk" of disapproval, but Ron made no apologies, and simply waved his hand dismissing her from his part of the cobblestoned sidewalk.

He realized sitting there probably made him look like a homeless drunk squib still trying to make it in the wizarding world, but he didn't care. In fact, 7 fire whiskeys deep, all he could still think about was the terrifying choice of never starting a family, or starting a family with someone else. And both choices made him want another drink. How was someone supposed to choose?

On one hand, he had dreamed of having a bunch of, red-bushy haired kids, but it wouldn't be the same with out the bushy hair, he was sure of it.

He was positive that he needed Hermione in his life, she was not just his wife, and she was a major factor in what made up Ron Weasley as the world knows him. Plus leaving his wife does not guarantee finding another witch who would have him, and love him the way Hermione does, or even finding someone he felt that way about. The saying goes, that there is one person you're meant to spend your life with, so what's the point in trying to find a second person?

Even If he did find a second love of his life, which he doubted very much, who says she will be interested in starting a family any more than his first love?

Ron, thinking logically for once, realized that leaving Hermione is simply not an option. Unless she wanted out, he was in for the long haul; he would be true to his vows.

As he sat on the curb in his drunk, philosophical daze, something glinting caught his eye across the alley. He abruptly stood, and stumbled across the way to the glass window of Madam Rose' Custom Jewels. As he pressed his face up against the glass, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the entrancing sapphire necklace laid before him. It was gorgeous, something you only see on people belonging to families like the Malfoys. Even if he could afford it, Hermione would never accept it, she never wanted gifts of that manner.

He sighed and let his eyes drift along the rest of the jewelry the display had to offer. He did a double take on a simple bracelet being out shined by the rest of the jewels. It had a thick silver chain that was so intricate it could only be magic. On the chain was a large black diamond that was flat and same size as the face of a watch. He couldn't tear his eyes away, or stop imagining it on Hermione's delicate wrist as she threw spells at him. It was beautiful yet had a touch to it that amplified her strong will.

His mind was made up, now the only decision was whether to sleep on the curb and wait until the shop opened in the morning, or to go to the apartment up stairs and presumably, awake Madam Rose.

The sound of his own clunking feet walking up the wooden stairs that wrapped up the side of the shop pulled him out of his thought process. He was sure she would be awake due to his loud ascent, so turning back now seemed silly.

"Traitorous feet," he mumbled. The curb had been looking cozy before he began walking without thinking.

As he trudged up the stairs, a light turned on, so he had woken her up. The door was opened not by the presumed Madam Rose however, but by a burly man holding his wand out prepared for a jewelry thief.

"Bloody hell mate!" Ron cried, putting his hands up in a sign of peace. He really did not think this through.

"Get off my stairs before I curse you to next spring!" The man shouted, taking another step closer.

"I'm here to see Madam Rose," he replied timidly, but to his horror this only outraged the man further.

"ROSE? What business do you have coming here in the night to see my ROSE?!"

At this Ron cursed himself for making such a stupid comment. The man's outburst sobered him up good and quick though, his mind quick turned to auror auto pilot. He surrendered his hands and pointed his wand at the man just as the man shouted a curse at Ron.

Ron jumped the last two steps to the top porch so he was level with the man. A look of comprehension crossed the mans features as soon as Ron was in the light, as he recognized this war hero.

"Oh, oh Ron Weasley, I'm sorry! I thought you were a burglar!" He started laughing in a nervous, hysteric way near the end. Ron chuckled as well, how ironic that he was assumed a burglar as he keeps wizards like that off the street for a living.

"I apologize for the intrusion, I, well I wasn't thinking." Ron apologized sincerely.

"What did you exactly plan to accomplish coming to our apartment at 1 am?"

Ron scratched the back of his neck feeling awkward all of a sudden, "I don't know, one moment I was prepared to sleep on the curb and wait for the store to open, then the next thing I know I was coming to find the owner, but now I just want to go to sleep."

The man gave a tired laugh, "You would have been in for a long wait on that curb mate, we don't even open Sundays you know. It's posted on the door."

"Right, erm, I'm just going to go," he stammered.

"Wait, you okay mate? Why you trying to buy fine jewelry in the middle of the night anyway? What's the rush?"

"Spat with my wife, wanted to impress her I suppose, it sounds stupid now, but it seemed like a good idea before I started coming up here."

The man leaned back against his door frame and observed Ron carefully before unfolding his arms and extending his hand to reach Ron's.

"I'm Roland by the way," he said shaking Ron's hand, "and I'd be glad to sell you anything in the store at a discounted price in the morning, and offer for you to stay the night."

"I, its really okay Roland, I appreciate it," but he was cut off.

"Really I insist, for one I could hardly count a bed for the night and a discounted diamond as payment for the service you have paid the wizarding world, and second, well I'm married too mate."

Ron smiled at the gesture this stranger, that tried to curse him down the stairs only minutes before was offering. He was used to people throwing things in his face as payment to his servitude. It never got less awkward. He really felt weird about staying at this stranger, well Roland's home, but he could hardly apparate now.

"I'd really appreciate it," he replied smiling shaking Roland's hand in a deal once more before entering their above store apartment.

The next morning Ron woke to a strange humming coming from somewhere. The first thought that entered his mind was, 'I'm not on the curb,' well that's a relief he added as an after thought. He rolled his head towards the inconsistent gurgling and through squinted eyes saw a small boy probably around 4 or 5 trailing a toy Hogwarts Express train along the border of a braided rug.

Memories from the previous night flooded his mind at the sight of the boy, and he could feel himself reddening at his display that lead him to here. He sat up slowly, as to not startle the boy, and watched him play with his train until he noticed.

The child was like Ron's own personal demon. He couldn't help himself from imagining the boy with red hair instead of blonde, and on the rug in his own master bedroom. His own potential son playing until his daddy woke up. He let out a loud annoyed sigh at himself for dwelling on something that would never be, but caught the attention of the child.

The boy took the sigh as a reprimand and quickly scurried from the room leaving his train. Ron ran a hand through his hair trying to make himself look decent before he walked out to greet his hosts, he just wanted to buy the bracelet and get the hell out of here. He picked up the train and giving the room a sweep for any left possessions, walked out to the living room.

His personal demon was watching him from around a corner with wide expectant eyes. Upon seeing the train in Ron's hands he timidly approached him.

Ron squatted down so he was level with the boy and held the train out to him. "What's your name?"

"Harry," the boy said louder than Ron expected then walked away, train in hand.

Ron snorted to himself; 'Harry' had become a very popular name among small boys in the wizarding world after Voldemort met his demise. He was used to meeting children with the same namesake.

"You must be Ron," a woman said from the same hall the boy had walked off to, pulling Ron out of his thoughts. He stood and introduced himself to Rose, finally. Get the diamond and get out, he thought. He couldn't bear to be away from Hermione one more minute.

He did indeed buy the beautiful black diamond bracelet he had seen in the window. He also got the discount as promised to his surprise. He wondered if people would ever treat him as an ordinary wizard again, how much time had to pass for people to feel their dues had been paid?

After almost spending the night on the curb, being taken for a burglar, sleeping in a strangers place, he felt the tug home to Hermione even stronger. The added weight of her gift in his pocket made him even more anxious to see her, and even forget some of his worries. He knew what he would do, she was more important to him than having children. Their love was much bigger than this argument, and he was determined to not lose his love.

With that he aparated home to his wife.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the wait. : (_

_I have the worst luck in betas. The girl that was going to help fell off the face of the fanfiction world. Any new takers??? : )_


	4. Crest of a Wave

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, I am simply playing around in a world already created by J.K. Rowling.

* * *

Chapter 4: Crest of a Wave

Hermione awoke the same morning as Ron was making his extravagant purchase feeling lonelier than she had in a very long time. The last time she remembered feeling this miserable was when Ron abandoned her and Harry on their Horcrux hunt.

Although she recalls those few months alone with Harry some of the worst she's ever experienced she never could bring herself to blame Ron. If only she had let him know how she felt, maybe he wouldn't have left them, left her. There was so much doubt hanging in the air between them then… But now... Now things are the same aren't they? She lies here alone and miserable, but again it is her own fault. She should have spoken up sooner about her trepidations about children. Then she and Ron wouldn't be fighting; they would be happy and normal.

But then again, maybe they wouldn't be. Maybe if she had been up front with him, then he never would have asked her to marry him. They might not have had all these happy years together after all. Maybe he would have married someone else and she would have been alone anyways. Maybe she was meant to be alone…

Hermione lay there in her and Ron's bed pouring over all the "maybes" in her life and grew weary and tired. Her life was about certainty, all this confusion and doubt was clawing at her insides. Maybe Ron was right; maybe she was just being selfish. She was sacrificing her own happiness, Ron's happiness, their families' loyalty, and perhaps their marriage by her desire to remain childless. If she had a child then at least Ron would be happy, their family wouldn't be torn, and their marriage would survive. But she wouldn't be happy. But wouldn't it be a greater thing to be unhappy yourself to make those you love happy?

For the first time she let herself entertain the idea of being a mother. She saw what Ron always saw, a little ginger, with bushy hair. She could see Ron happy and giving their child the love and attention he always got from his parents. She tried to put herself in the picture, but she just couldn't imagine it. She was sure it was possible; everyone says that once you see your baby your life is changed. Maybe her motherly instincts wouldn't kick in until her baby was in her arms.

With the last maybe filling her thoughts, she rolled over to Ron's side of the bed and inhaled deeply from his pillow. She took deep breaths of his scent until she drifted off to sleep dreaming of him.

This was how Ron found Hermione when he apparated into their home following the purchase the bracelet. He was completely shocked; she had shattered all the expectations he had of returning to their home. He figured she would be gone, or maybe waiting for him to yell at him. Certainly he did not expect her to be asleep at 11:00 am in their bed, curled around his pillow.

The image of her curled desperately around his pillow broke him. Any doubt he had that she was not as miserable as he was flew out the window. She looked just as broken as he felt. He stepped out of the door way and into their bedroom and his eyes fell upon the trash bin over flowing with tissues. He would bet that she had been in their bed since he slammed the door behind him yesterday.

His instincts, and need to comfort her took over his senses. He had to be next to her, to hold her. He kicked off his shoes, and threw off his jacket before crawling under the covers and sliding over to his wife. He laid down flush against her and pulled her close to him. The feel of her warm soft body close to his was almost more than he could handle. He managed to shift her so she was even closer to him, and she stirred at the disruption. He knew he had woken her up because she suddenly became unnaturally still in his arms. She kept her eyes closed tightly as though she were afraid of what she might be lying on. Her brow eventually created a worry crease through the middle of it, and Ron could not stop himself from reaching down and soothing it.

Immediately after his fingers made contact with her skin, Hermione's eyes popped open wide. She looked wide-eyed into nothingness before she tilted her head and starred Ron in the face, with a look of horror. Ron didn't understand her reaction; she looked genuinely terrified.

"Hermione, it's just me," he said to her, lightly.

She continued to stare at him and began to tremble as she choked back the tears that were forming behind her eyes. Then she abruptly turned her head away from him and rolled out of his embrace. She sat perched on the edge of their bed facing the wall beside it.

Ron felt torn. He took her reaction as rejection, but his heart still pulled him to her. He still felt the need to comfort her. "Mione?" he asked aloud hoping to get some guidance from her.

"Just give me some time," she responded very strained.

How much time she was referring to, he had no idea. He decided to take a long hot shower, and see where her emotions would bring her by the time he got out.

Ron left the room and went into their adjoining bathroom, giving Hermione the privacy she needed to collect her thoughts. As soon as she heard the shower head turn on she let out a sob she had been choking down since waking up.

She felt horrible for sending Ron away again so soon. What he must think of her! But as it was, he had picked a horrible time to stir her from her sleep. She had been dreaming of him. Having a nightmare about him really.

She dreamed he had sailed away to live at sea. She dreamed he could not get over her, and move on with another woman, so decided to live without women all together. She sailed the see to find him, but he had been washed up in the waves, in the vastness that the ocean offered. Her dream was just consumed by big blue waves, and she ended up sailing the sea searching for him forever.

When she awoke to find herself in his arms, relief hit her so powerfully she panicked. She was in a state where her dream had seemed so real, that to be in her husband's arms, safe, warm, loved seemed like the dream.

Realizing she how badly she needed him she jumped from the bed and began to furiously brush her hair. She preformed a smoothing charm and pulling it back into a ponytail before dashing from their room for the guest bathroom.

She used a spare toothbrush and worked to make herself as presentable as possible. She could not live without him, he was invading her sleep, and consuming every conscience thought she had. To live without Ron was to live without magic; to live without air. It simply couldn't be done. She wouldn't be Hermione.

After she was satisfied she ran from the bathroom back to their bedroom without a moment to lose. Every moment with Ron was precious; she couldn't waste one, not while they were fighting.

She rounded the corner to their room, hoping to make it back before the end of his shower, only to arrive at the same time as Ron. Shaking his hair out, with a towel wrapped around his waste. The fresh clean smell he brought with him awoke every sense in her body, and brought back memories from happy, playful times they have had together. The most prominent feeling it brought forward was her demanding lust for him. She caught flashes from her memory of them together in the shower, and before she could process what she was doing, she had leapt into his surprised arms and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Ron had been expecting a lashing when he emerged from his shower. Hadn't Hermione made it very clear they weren't to use their baby-making machine? He felt floored when he saw his wife eyeing him like he was a piece of meat. After their rough and tremulous fight, having her look at him that way was like Christmas morning to a child.

He took her change in heart in stride and caught her like it was second nature when she threw herself at him. He held his ground when her weight hit him and he pushed her back up against the wall. He would avoid the bed in any case of her remembering their earlier argument.

Later they both collapsed exhausted beside their bed onto the floor. Neither spoke to each other, and was much too lost in their reflections to even move. Ron had the sense about him to light their bedroom fire, and Hermione found the sense to use Ron as a human pillow. They both lay there without speaking drifting in and out of sleep and their thoughts until darkness filled their room.

Ron was the first to pull himself out of his daze. He glanced around until he found it was 6:00 p.m. and decided to whip something together for them to eat. He gently lifted Hermione onto their bed, slipped into some sweats and tip toed his way downstairs.

He had never been anything close to competent in the kitchen, so Hermione always appreciated even the smallest effort he made to providing for himself or them both. He put all the food he could fit onto a tray and levitated it up the stairs while he got something to drink.

Hermione woke to a tray of food bouncing on her hip. She pulled herself into a sitting position and stared at the gesture. Did this mean they made up? Are they just going to go back to normal and pretend the baby thing didn't happen? It's sure to haunt them if they do this. They had to talk about what happened. She glanced over to his nightstand to check the time, but it was obscured by something. She reached to move it out of the way, and her fingers collided with something velvet. Her heart skipped a beat as she closed her hand around the familiar shaped box. She held it unopened in her shaking hand until she made a split decision. She quick jumped off the bed dropping the box, pulled on the first clothes she saw and apparated with a pop to the first place that came to mind.


	5. Enough is Enough

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; I am simply playing around in a world already created by J.K. Rowling.

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Chapter 5: Enough is Enough

Hermione opened her eyes to find herself in the center of her childhood home. Her heart began to beat frantically with panic as she realized what she had just done.

"Oh shit!" she yelled, "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"

She pulled at her hair and walked in tight circles around her parent's living room. "Fuck!" she screamed out, just as her mother was getting the courage to round the corner with a frying pan in hand.

"AEEEK!" her mother screamed, dropping her weapon, as a disgruntled Hermione again yelled out a profanity.

Hearing her mother scream she turned to her. "What am I doing here!" she screamed.

"Trying to kill me I'm sure!" her mother yelled back.

Hermione, realizing she was being absurd, stared at her mother, and then began choking on air. She couldn't take a breath, and the room around her began to spin, images she couldn't comprehend or think about clouded her head. She saw Ron's face while they were fighting, and the next moment she saw the expression on his face when she leapt into his arms.

She began full-fledged hyperventilating, and her mother, assessing the situation shoved her daughter down into a nearby armchair by pushing on her shoulders.

"Come now, breathe Hermione, its okay," she soothed.

She left the room for a second to retrieve a paper bag, and thrust it into her daughter's hands.

Hermione immediately started breathing into it, becoming more hysterical and letting out a laugh.

"I forgot muggles did this!" she yelled, holding the paper bag above her head in mad amusement. Then again started breathing into it.

Her mother, petite like Hermione sank into the chair with her, so she could hold her daughter and stroke her hair. Hermione continued breathing into the bag, and was rocking back and forth, pushing her mother along with her.

"Shhh, just breath, its okay."

Her brain was moving a mile a minute. She had heard about people doing what she just did. Apparating without a clear destination, and ending up somewhere you didn't realize you even wanted to go. It made sense now, as her mother smoothed down her hair, that she would come here. Deep down the idea was there, and when that tray of food bounced onto her lap, it surfaced.

Slowly, she pulled the bag away from her face, and looked at her mother, "Mum, I've done something stupid," she choked, tears filling her eyes again.

"I mean really stupid, I've messed things up real bad."

As she was engulfed in a hug, she felt even more immense guilt and pain. Every pat on the back, every gesture of comfort broke her a little more. Here she was being consoled, and what was Ron doing? What did he do when he realized she left? Who was there for him?

Was it wrong of her to leave? She kept playing the possible scenarios in her head of how things would have gone down. Either they would have pretended like nothing was going on, and tried to make the best of the moment. Or another fight would ensue. At this point, even if Ron caved, and told her he was fine with not having children, she didn't know if she could really accept it.

Because despite everything, she loved Ron more than life, she wanted him to have everything he's ever wanted. Isn't that what love is about, isn't that what he wants for her?

"I don't deserve him," she moaned.

"Don't be ridiculous, you are perfect for each other," her mother crooned.

"I don't, I don't. I messed up. I'm the one who sprung on him I didn't want to have kids. It's not like I didn't know he wanted them. I did. I was so selfish I didn't tell him,

"Then he's the one sleeping on couches, buying me gifts, making me meals..."

Hermione's Mum observed her panic stricken daughter for a second to long. Her daughter looked up to her, waiting for the words of comfort she needed.

"Hermione, I get it. We all get it. Your career is important to you, but what makes you think every other mother in the world didn't think her job was important? You of all people could handle multi tasking."

Hermione was holding her breath and shaking her head. She let out the breath shakily and looked off into nothing, "That's not what he wants though, he wants' someone like his own mum. Not someone like you or I."

"He's not stupid; he knew he wasn't marrying his mother. You're being absurd," her mother announced in an air of finality. Now go home, apologize, beg if you have to, and fix this. Be a grown up. Compromise Hermione."

Hermione realized she was getting the boot from her salvage and promptly stood up to do exactly as her mother suggested. She would apparate home and beg Ron for forgiveness. What else could she do?

She clutched her wand tightly in her hand, making her knuckles turn white, and turned on the spot to go home. She smelled she had arrived before she saw her surroundings. Keeping her eyes shut tightly she loosened the grip on her wand, then slowly peaked one eye open. She half expected him to be waiting for her with his arms crossed. But she was wrong of course. Living room was all clear. She began to wander the house looking for him and listening for him, but he had left. She was too late.

She didn't waste a moment before deciding she would search for him. Her first stop would be Harry's and if he wasn't there, she would just work her way down his siblings and friends. She turned to apparate, more confidently this time, to Harry and Ginny's. But no one was home there either.

"Of all the rotten luck," she murmured to herself. She would try George's next, but she could already feel her hope and confidence dwindling. She would give anything to take back fleeing earlier, to be in Ron's arms right now.

Taking a deep breathes she apparated to George's, and with a glance around his home, she knew. She wasn't going to find Ron. This house too was empty. Her eyes swept the room one more time out of habit, and she pulled up short at something hung up on the wall in the kitchen.

Curiosity moved her feet to the muggle calendar, and she stared at it blankly for what felt like forever. Then suddenly it dawned on her, and she felt as though someone had hit her with a stunning curse right in the stomach. She had to grab hold of the counter for support.

It was Sunday. Of course, everyone was at the Weasley's for the monthly get together dinner. She had completely forgotten about it with everything that was going on. To be honest, until this moment she wasn't sure what day it even was. So Ron was there, alone, for the very first time. She had accompanied him every third Sunday of the month, for years, since before they were married.

She felt dizzy with comprehension; Ron was the bigger person in their relationship. She supposed she always knew, but this solidified it. He was facing his family alone tonight, and they would all know now just how deep in shit they were. He would put on a brave face and take their pitying glances and fulfill his obligations.

Pulling herself together she came up with a third plan. She would go home and wait for him and do everything in her power to make things right, she knew now that it wasn't a matter of if she could live with an addition to their family, but she could not live without him.

Meanwhile, Ron was busying himself entertaining little Teddy. When he had arrived at his childhood home, sans his wife, he had never felt such a rush of pity directed at him. It was sickening, he felt as though it stripped him of his manhood. It was a feeling he was very reluctant to get accustomed to, but if he and Hermione didn't resolve this soon, he was sure it would get a lot worse.

"Uncle Ron, I've got you!" Teddy shouted, exasperated.

"Oh right," Ron replied, remembering he wasn't playing his part. He started doing a jig as though he were hit with Jelly Legs Jinx.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I've stunned you actually, so I win," he said throwing his stick to the ground.

"I give up," Ron replied holding his hands in the air, dropping his own fake wand.

"How can a stunned person surrender, shouldn't you be lying on the ground or something?" Teddy asked with his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I swear that's how grandma says it works."

"It does!" Ron quickly shouted, "I'm sorry I just had lost my head for a second, you got it right."

As he finished he walked over to sling his arm around Teddy and ruffle his hair. "Green today huh?"

Teddy shrugged his shoulders, "I thought it would give me an edge while we were dueling, you know like camoflag."

"You mean camouflage," Ron corrected him.

"Right! That's it," he replied snapping his fingers. "Harry showed me his invisibility cloak, and I told him how much I wanted one –" Ron snorted, and Teddy seemed to not notice and go on, " But he said I had something more unique and I could practice blending in with my surroundings so if I ever had to duel I would have an edge." He finished by doing air quotes around the word edge.

"I suppose he's right, but lets just hope you aren't getting into any fights okay?"

"But I plan to be a great auror!" Teddy exclaimed, jumping out of Ron's arm, and holding out an invisible wand as if to vanquish the enemy.

"Just like you and Harry," he added smiling.

"That sounds great kid," Ron said smiling sadly. Would he never have a son of his own to follow in his footsteps? He considered little Teddy family, but it isn't the same as if his own kin had said it. But then again maybe a son of his would have no interest in what he does, it's not like him or his brothers went into the muggle business like their dad. He laughed as he pictured any of his siblings having a garage full of plugs and toasters.

"What's so funny?" Teddy asked, looking up at Ron.

"Nothing," Ron said shaking his head, "Lets go get some grub," and he scooped down and threw Teddy over his shoulder for a half second before it turned into a full on wrestling match.

Back at his house Hermione was in a tizzy trying to figure out what she should be doing with herself when Ron came home. Their home was cleaner than it has been in 8 months, and she was left now fidgeting trying to figure out what to wear. She had tried on everything in her closet it seemed; she wished she could consult Ginny. Does she wear something sexy? Should she be feigning sleeping when he came in? Should her hair be up? Should she leave the lights on?

As it was she was laying on her back on top of their bed in a bathrobe he had gotten for her 2 Christmas' ago. She had make up on, something she didn't always bother with, she had even shaped her eyebrows. She used a sleeking potion on her hair and was also wearing a perfume he had purchased for her 3 Valentines days ago. She had on all of her favorite jewelry he had bought her as well, anything to get off on the right foot.

Well, almost all her favorite jewelry she thought as she glanced at the velvet box that still sat ominously on the night stand. She had not opened it, but she had the feeling something exquisite was inside. She had been afraid to even move it to dust for fear he would notice. He was totally within right to never give the gift to her after how she behaved.

She was running a finger over the box, almost indulging in her curiosity when she heard a soft pop from downstairs in the kitchen, Ron had returned home after all. She had almost forgotten about her fear that he would never come back, which was a real possibility.

She leapt off the bed and dashed over to their closet and frantically flipped through the hangers. This was how Ron found her, "Hello, Hermione."


End file.
